Horse of the Year Show

Qualified for: 143cm Show Hunter Pony

‘Knowing that I have qualified is such good news, as it’s my last year with Sid and to qualify so close to home is the best!’

I’m Emma Lucas and I am 17 years old. I have qualified my pony Sid who is 7yrs old for the 143cm Show Hunter Pony at HOYS. He is owned my by Mum Anne Lucas, who is the home producer! This season we have been going for the qualifiers more than ever. After going to Peterborough, Ipswich, Chard and others, we finally came to Kent County Show, which is 15 minutes from my mums house and 5 minutes from my dads so very local!

Mum works in a pub six days a week and I work in one three days a week, to help fund the competing so we are home produced through and through. The day before Kent County we brought the horsebox into the yard, rode and bathed Sid and then drove off to Kent to watch a friend. We had only been there an hour when we recieved a call from a friend telling us we had got a puncture on the horsebox.  
So then knowing that we had no other means of travel, we were getting a bit worried when a good friend offered us a lift – problem one solved.

The day of the show came and Mum and I were really tired as we both had had to work the night before until midnight.. however a toastie and a cup of coffee later we were all good! Once at the show, I realised as we had come in someone elses lorry,so I had no elastic, hair pins or gloves! So Mum had to attach my number on with plaiting thread. My number was an upside down number (a number that if you turn it upside down, it still makes sense – eg. 898 606.) I have qualified for HOYS three times on an upside down number! I then slicked my hair back with quickbraid and ran to Judy Harvey’s horsebox to borrow her daughter’s gloves (she said they were lucky) next problem solved!

We brought Sid off the lorry who looked suprisingly bright, but we continued to the ring where Sid went back to his normal chilled self.
In the ring we went. Sid did a good round so was pulled in second and did a nice show, we knew the one in top had already qualified.
It’s always worse when you’re in that position, especially when I had people from either side saying ”You’re going to get your ticket!” The stewards then announced the winner, me! Knowing that I have qualified is such good news as it’s my last year with Sid and to qualify so close to home is the best!

Later on that day, I went and congratulated the girl who had won the 12hh SHP and she too had an upside down number! Then I found out that the girl whose lucky gloves I borrowed actually went and won the 14.2hh HOYS qualifier too!